NYSSA – Voters appear to have unseated Nyssa Mayor Ross Ballard in a race between six candidates for four open seats on city council.
As of 11:22 p.m., Betty Holcomb had garnered the most votes: 341.
“That’s exciting, or scary,” said the incumbent Holcomb, who works for the U.S. Postal Service in Nyssa. “I just want to do my civic duty.”
She was followed by soon-to-retire postal delivery worker Pat Oliver, 248 votes, and TLC Hair Design owner Patricia Esplin, 240 votes. They each will serve four-year terms. William (Dennis) Savage, a retired Nyssa School District superintendent, earned 232 votes, which might secure him a two-year posting if the results hold as the final ballots are counted late into the night.
Newcomer Morganne DeLeon, a school counselor, and current mayor Ross Ballard looked like they could fall short of election, earning 217 and 204 votes by 11:22 p.m.
The Nyssa City Council will meet later to choose who among them will serve as mayor. Councilors Robert DeLeon, Susan Walker and Patricia Brewer received the most votes in the November 2016 election, which secured them with four-year slots. Their terms will end in 2020.
The only incumbent councilor who did not seek reelection was Diego Castel-lanoz, whose term will end this year.
Some of the biggest decisions ahead of city leaders will be sorting out details of a proposed new rail reload facility, as well as the infrastructure needed to support the increased truck traffic.
Results are not final. County elections officials will continue to count ballots into the early morning.